German basic-tier channel Kabel Eins has postponed its next live broadcast of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the country’s domestic basketball league, until 2013 due to poor ratings.
Kabel Eins’ coverage of the game between Brose Baskets and FC Bayern München on November 18 drew an average of only 250,000 viewers and an audience share of 1.5 per cent, according to German news agency DPA.
Kabel Eins’ parent company Sat.1 will now show the next match scheduled to be broadcast, FC Bayern München v Telekom Baskets Bonn on December 9, live on the internet instead of on the television channel.
Kabel Eins spokeswoman Daniela-Allgayer Koreimann said the broadcaster would “refine” its programming strategy after a “detailed analysis”. Kabel Eins’ next live BBL broadcast will be FC Bayern München’s game against Alba Berlin on February 10.
“We respect this decision, which took place after internal deliberations of the station,” BBL spokesman Dirk Kaiser said.